Oakland carjacking suspect is just 13

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A Honda Accord allegedly carjacked by a 13-year-old boy is towed away from the 2900 block of Adeline Street in West Oakland.

Oakland police chased down a suspected carjacker Friday and were surprised by what they found: a 13-year-old boy.

The incident — the latest in a spate of carjackings that have led to chases on city streets — began about 10:30 a.m. when a motorist’s Honda Accord was carjacked near 9th and Alice streets in Oakland’s Chinatown.

Officers spotted the car in West Oakland several blocks away and chased it to the 2900 block of Adeline Street, where an officer used a tactic known as the PIT (Pursuit Intervention Technique) maneuver, nudging the car with a patrol cruiser to force it to spin out of control. The driver crashed into a parked car outside a home, causing the Honda to roll over onto its side.

The boy, who was trapped inside the car, was taken to Children’s Hospital Oakland to be evaluated, said Officer Johnna Watson, a police spokeswoman.

The incident comes a day after a man was carjacked of his Toyota Corolla at 6th and Alice streets. Police spotted the car in West Oakland and began chasing it, but aborted the pursuit after the driver ran stop signs near schools, including McClymonds High School. The car was later found abandoned and was towed for evidence, said police Lt. Chris Bolton.

Some recent carjackings in Oakland have led to robberies and similar crimes in Berkeley, police say. Watson said although the two carjackings occurred within blocks of each other, it’s too early to say if the cases are related.